Vise



Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT F F'lC-E.

VISE

Leo Meister, Irvington, N. J- Application December 26, 1942;Se1 ialNo. 470,271.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883,- as

'4'. Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates tovises.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide vise structure useful for holding parts or components in the manual assembly of units from these parts. The invention is particularly useful-in enabling an operator or assembler to assemble two units at the same time, one hand of the operator being used to assemble one unit and the other hand being used to assemble the other unit. In the assembly of projectile fuzes from their components, the invention has been found of distinct utility, enabling two fuzes to be assembled simultaneously with speed and accuracyby an assembler utilizing a hand for the assembly of each fuze.

Another object of the invention is to providev a swivel vise which. may have its mouth or jaws placed at various. levels in use. This enables. the position of the mouth of the vise to be adjusted with reference to the level of the arms or elbows of the user. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a visev with two sets of jaws for the purpose of securely holding or gripping simultaneously in each set of jaws portions of articles having the same dimensions or intended to have the same dimensions at the portions gripped, despite variations in size of the portions engaged by the jaws and despite. differences between the dimensions of analogous parts of the two sets of jaws.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in ure 3.

Figure 6 is a partial section of the vise, taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 showing the movable jaws however in closed or gripping position in connection with a modification of the means for moving them away from each other.

Referring in detail to the. drawing a block I of shaft 9 by means of a set screw 3|.

and 3 with a space 4 between them; This block has two side walls '5 and 6 formed integrally with the jaws 2 and 3 and-bridging the space between them. The side walls have bosses 1 and 8 which are each provided with a hole in which the shaft 9 is fitted for rotation. The bottom of the block consists of a plate 10 secured thereto by th screws ll.

Two movable jaws l2 and I3 fitwithin the space 4, and are respectively provided with flange portions l4 and I5 which slide over the fixed jaws. Fixed jaws 2-and 3 are respectively provided with elevated portions 16 and H for cooperation respectively with flange portions 14 and 15 in gripping objects to be held by the device. At their tops, the movable jaws are also each provided with lateral flanges l8 and 19 which slide respectively on the tops of side walls 5 and 6. The oppositely disposed faces of flange l4 and elevated portion I6 and of flange I3 and elevated portion 11 may be straight throughout their length so as to meetin a continuousstraight line when brought into contact with each other, or they may be given any desired shape to fit articles to be held by the vise. In the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated, elevated portions IB and I! of fixed jaws 2 and 3 and flange portionsv l4 and I5 ofmovable jaws l2 and I3 are .cut away to form arc shaped recesses 20 to accommodate circular work. Recesses 2D in the fixed jaws are opposite to the corresponding recesses in the movable jaws.

Screw headed guide rods 2| pass through and screw. into each of the fixed jaws 2 and 3. These guide rods 2| .pass through socketportions 22 in the fixed jaws and have a slide fit with holes 23 in the movable jaws. Coil springs 24 are located in the socket22 about the guide rods 2| and tend to urge the two movable jaws towards each other.

The shaft 9 passes between the movable jaws l2 and I3. A sleeve 25 is fitted on the shaft 9 between the side walls 5 and 6, and this sleeve and the'shaft are slotted to accommodate the cam 26 with a sliding fit. The cam 26 is provided with a central slot 21 which runs longitudinally thereof. A pin 28 passes through the sleeve 25, shaft 9, and slot 21, and extends from the'surface of one of the oppositely disposed flats 29 on the sleeve to the surface of the other.

A straight arm or crank 30 has an eye which fits over shaft 9, the said arm being fixed to the The arm 30 is so positioned on the shaft 9 that it occupiesa metalisfashioned to provide twofixedjaws- 2 horizontalposition when the cam26. is vertical and the movable jaws occupy their innermost positions. The bottom l of the block I is provided with a lateral extension 32 serving as a stop for limiting the extent of motion that may be imparted to the arm 30. This extension is so positioned with reference to the path of rotation of the arm that the cam 26 will have advanced the two movable jaws towards the fixed jaws the desired extent when the arm 30 is arrested by the extension or stop 32.

Connected to the side 6 of the block I by welding, screws or otherwise are two elbows 33 which extend outwardly from the side wall 6 of the block I. The outwardly extending portions of the elbows 33 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated are spaced from each other, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the face of side wall 6. Near the outer ends, the elbows 33 are provided with registering holes to receive the pivot pin 34 which passes through these-holes and. a hole near the upper end of arm 35 which fits with a sliding fit between the outwardly extending portions of theelbows. Cotter pins 36 are inserted through holes at each end of the pin 34 to secure it in position. Block with its associated parts constituting a double vise therefore has a pivotal or swivel connection with the arm 35.

A coil spring 31 is placed under tension between the pin 33 carried by the elbows 33 and a screw 39 applied at that end of the arm 35 that is not pivoted to the elbows 33. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, spring 31 tends to rotate the elbows, and therefore the vise structure, in a clockwise direction, and would impart this motion to the vise structure were it not for the presence of the pin 4|] which acts as a stop by engaging the arm 35. As will be appreciated, the vise structure with the elbows 33 may be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot pin 34 by manually moving the vise structure in that direction. This, counter-clockwise motion is accompanied by stretching of the spring 3'! which, after manual release of the vise structure, returns the vise structure to the position where the pin 45 again engages against the arm 35 as shown in Figure 2.

A second arm 4| is in pivotal connection with the arm 35 at a point separated from the pivotal connection of the elbows 33 with the arm 35. This pivotal connection is effected by means of a screw 42 threaded near its end only passing through a hole in the arm 35 witha sliding fit and engaging with corresponding threads in the arm 4|. When the-screw 42 is tightened the positions of arm 35 and arm 4| are fixed with respect to each other, that is to say there is no swivelling action between them. On the other hand, if screw 42 is loosened, arms 35 and 4| may be rotated with respect to each other.

At a point separated from the point where arm 4| is pivoted to arm 35,the arm 4| is pivotally connected between and with two ears 43 secured by means of screws 44 to the base 45 which supports the entire superstructure. The pivotal connection between the arm 4| and the ears 43 is completed by a bolt 46 passing through registering holes in the ears- 43 and a hole in the arm 4|. Tightening of the bolt 46 fixes the position of arm 4| with respect to the ears 43, whereas loosening of the bolt permits the arm 4! to be rotated with respect to the ears.

Operation.Rotation of arm 3|) from the horizontal position, shown in Figures land 2, to the position where it engages the stop 32 (approximately turns cam 26 from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4. As the cam 26 turns so does the sleeve 25 on the shaft 9. The movable jaws begin to move away from each other when the flats on the sleeve 25 turn away from their contact with the movable jaws. The further spreading of the movable jaws away from each other, and towards their respective fixed jaws, is accomplished by the camming surface or part at each end of the cam 26 pushing against the movable jaws as it is rotated.

The device illustrated in the drawing has been provided with the are shaped openings or recesses 20 in the two pairs of jaws which fit around and grip round parts of an article, such as a round part of a fuze, machined or otherwise fabricated, or intended to be fabricated, to a certain size. Now it may well occur that certain permissible variations in this size will exist between two articles intended to be held or clamped simultaneously. In this event, one of the movable jaws I2 and I3 will reach its securing position against the article before the other movable jaw does, and one of the articles would be loose or unsecured, if it were not for the ability of the cam 26 to slide with respect to the shaft 9. In a similar manner this sliding movement compensates for differences or variations of dimensions between analogous parts of the two pairs of vises. It is to be noted, therefore, that these compensations are attained owing to the fact that the sliding of the cam 26 through the shaft 9 enables alteration of the distances of the cam surfaces of the cam 26 from its axis of rotation.

In using the present device in the assembly of two units of the same kind simultaneously, the operation starts one unit between jaws 2 and I2 and the other unit between jaws 3 and I3 and assembles them both simultaneously using the right hand in assembling one and the left hand in assembling the other, corresponding motions being performed by each hand, which makes for speed and accuracy in assembly. In such assembly work, it is very advantageous that the tops of the jaws 2, 3, 2 and I3 occupy a satisfactory position or level with reference to the arms or elbows of the operator or assembler. This end is attained by adjustment of the positions of arms 35 and 4| with respect to each other and by adjustment of the arm 4| with respect to the ears 43 on base 45. As illustrative, let it be assumed, referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, that the horizontal level of the tops of the jaws 2, 3, l2 and I3 is too high for the assembler and that it is desired to lower it. Bolt 46 is loosened and the arm 4| rotated counterclockwise, for example, a few degrees, whereupon bolt 46 is again tightened. This will not only cause the plane of the tops of jaws 2, 3, l2 and I3 to be lowered but will incline this plane, which latter condition in the assembly of fuzes, for example, is not usually desired. This undesired inclination of the plane of the tops of Jaws 2, 3, I2 and I3 is overcome by loosening the screw 42, rotating the arm 35 clockwise until the said tops again occupy a horizontal position and again tightening the screw 42. The result of these motions of arms 35 and 4| is a lowering of the level of the tops of thejaws 2, 3, 2 and I3. Similarly, the level may be raised by rotating the arms 35 and 4| in directions opposite to those described above. It will be evident from the foregoing, thatthe extent the level is lowered or raised will depend upon the extent the arms 35 and M have been displaced in these adjustments.

After the assembler has completed assembly of the two fuzes or other units he turns arm 30 again to its horizontal position which loosens the grip of the jaws on the units, and simultaneously with this loosening or before or after it, he may press down manually on the double Vises or block I and cause it to be rotated about the pivot pin 34 against the tension of spring 31 in removing the assembled units. When the block is released after having been rotated as described, the spring 37 returns it to its original position, the pin 40 coming into contact with the arm 35 limiting the extent of this return motion.

It is to be noted that the axes of the pivotal connections between the arm 35 and the elbows 33, between the arm 35 and the arm 4| and between the arm and the ears 43 are parallel. In the appended claims, the expression substantially parallel is intended to include exact parallelism as well as approximate parallelism.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, the cam which operates against the movable jaws l2 and 13 consists of two parts 50 and 5| joined to and separated by spring 52. In this instance, the sleeve 25 is secured to shaft 9 by a pin 53 passing through the sleeve 25 and into the shaft 9 to the slot therein. This modification may be further varied by forming the parts 50 and 5! as an integral piece, with omission of the spring, so that in this latter instance the cam which operates the jaws l2 and I3 consists of an integral solid slider capable of sliding radially with reference to the shaft 9 and sleeve 25.

I claim:

1. A vise for holding objects for manual opera.- tion, comprising a chambered block having end and side walls, the end walls constituting fixed jaws, a step formed on the top of each of said jaws, two movable jaws in the block chamber movable to and from the fixed jaws, each formed with a portion adapted to slide on the tread of the step of the fixed jaws and cooperate with the riser of said step to grip objects between said jaws, a shaft rotatably journaled in the side walls between the movable jaws, and means carried by said shaft to move the movable jaws upon the rotation of said shaft.

2. The invention of claim 1, characterized in that the means carried by the shaft for moving the movable jaws comprises a sleeve on the shaft and .a cam slidable transversely through the sleeve and having ends extending beyond the sleeve and engaging the movable jaws.

3. The invention of claim 1, characterized in that the means carried by the shaft for moving the movable jaws comprises a sleeve on the shaft and a two-part cam in said sleeve with its ends extending transversely beyond the sleeve into ensprings in the sockets surrounding the guide pins and interposed between the fixed and movable jaws to cause said jaws to yieldingly grip objects and to return the movable jaws to normal position upon their release from the action of the movable jaw-moving means.

LEO MEIS'I'ER. 

